jk-rowling

JK Rowling's trying to help you get cultured, y'all! Coming soon to a theater (not the movie kind) near you (well, in London) is a brand new Harry Potter play called Cursed Child. JK didn't offer any plot details, but who are we kidding; if it's Harry Potter related, we're in.

Working alongside JK on this project are Tony award winning director John Tiffany (Once) and screenwriter/playright Jack Thorne (Skins, Cast-offs, The Scouting Book for Boys). She's said the play won't be a prequel, but as for what the Cursed Child actually is, we'll have to wait and see.

In other Harry Potter news that will probably make you feel old, JK Rowling reminded us that the first Harry Potter novel was published EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO. Do you remember where you were when the wizarding world of Harry Potter first came to be?

Everyone's least favorite muggle family got a lot of coverage in JK Rowling's latest Pottermore update. If you're partial to reading it yourself, you can do a puzzle on Pottermore to unlock the new story or just read it here. If you just want the highlights, read on:

Uncle Vernon hates Harry because he looks so much like James. Once again, Harry's strong genes that leave him looking like his dad have come back to bite him. Vernon Dursley and James Potter didn't get along, so seeing Harry is just a constant reminder of a dude Vernon hates.

Petunia, on the other hand, feels guilty about how terribly she treated her witch sister and takes that out on Harry. Petunia was jealous of how much attention Lily got from their parents, and secretly wished she too could have been a witch. Petunia cut Lily out of her wedding, and upon hearing of Lily's death, was racked with enough guilt to take Harry in. Apparently that guilt wasn't strong enough to help her treat Harry decently

In another interesting tidbit revealed in this update, Rowling describes how Hagrid and Dumbledore got their names:

The colours red and white are mentioned many times in old texts on alchemy. One interpretations is that they, like base metal and gold, represent two different sides of human nature, which much be reconciled. This was the inspiration for the Christian names of Rubeus (red) Hagrid and Albus (white) Dumbledore. These two men, both hugely important to Harry, seem to me to represent two sides of the ideal father figure he seeks; the former is warm, practical and wild, the latter impressive, intellectual, and somewhat detached.

If I had a dollar for every time I saw a "I didn't get my letter from Hogwarts" joke, I'd probably have as much money as JK Rowling, who apparently now has the luxury of spending her days responding to fans on Twitter.

The author's latest entry into the JK Rowling Twitter Hall of Fame (seriously, she's basically the president of the great nation of Twitter at this point) reminds you that even if your letter didn't arrive by owl, you definitely went to Hogwarts. So wipe those tears from your eyes and let the books be your Hogwarts Express.

After Harry Potter author and resident Twitter Goddess JK Rowling tweeted a message of love and admiration for Ireland's recent gay marriage vote outcome by proposing a marriage between Dumbledore and Gandalf, the Westboro Baptist Church (regarded as the resident cesspool of humanity) challenged her fantastic meme by saying they'd picket any such union:

Rowling shut them down deftly, but one twitter user suggested that may not have been the right thing to do:

JK rebutted by saying the WBC wasn't what was important, but rather her show of support for those who need it: